Bodybuilder Robbie Robinson: Black Prince and Mr. Lifestyle

If you take a significant event from the history of the golden era of strength sports, there is a good chance you will encounter the name Robbie Robinson. Until Joe Weider invited a black guy to train in California, his name appeared in 300 sports competitions. There is hardly another athlete in bodybuilding who speaks about this sport with such pride. He believed that the body is a gift from which a sculpture can be molded.

The young athlete treated it like art. He tirelessly polished the relief, and at every opportunity he popularized bodybuilding. The guy had a naive dream of doing something outstanding to promote him to the masses. In later interviews he says:

“I love heavy sports, but I didn’t think before that it was created in order to make money. If this is the case, then we need to increase the prize money and support bodybuilders.”

short biography

Robby Robinson was born at the end of May 1946 in Georgia. The family immediately moved to Florida to the city of Tallahassee. Judging by the fact that the boy strove for sports from the age of 5, a healthy lifestyle and desire for physical perfection were embedded in the genetic code. A sports career began to take shape in adolescence. At age 12, he became an American football and track coach. As a youth, Robinson ran the 100m in 11 seconds. When the school idol turned 15, Robbie took part in amateur competitions as a sprinter and player on the football team.

How Robbie's sports career began

The future strongman was born in 1946 in the USA. Since childhood, the boy was fond of sports - he played football and ran short distances. Robinson had an idol - the “godfather of fitness” Jack La Lann. The guy listened to the advice of the legendary athlete and decided to build muscle mass.

Special programs and equipped gyms did not yet exist, so the boy came up with exercises himself. He equipped the simulators and equipment from scrap metal.

Robbie did not miss the opportunity to participate in amateur championships and achieved good results. In 1975, he was noticed by Joe Weider. The bodybuilder invited the guy to train in Venice Beach, California, where new bodybuilding stars gathered.

Robinson was very afraid of racial discrimination, so he doubted it until the very end. But his fears were unfounded - his training partners supported him and gave him motivation. Robbie immersed himself in hard training and began competing in professional competitions.

How did the ascent to Olympus begin?

After graduating, he attended Florida Agricultural College, where he continued to train. By this age, my figure had become stronger, my muscles had become steel. Leafing through sports magazines, the young man paid attention to the strong figures of the guys. Impressed, he sacrificed his childhood hobbies and, with the help of friends, equipped a gym . At that time there was no literature on nutrition, training programs and all that is available in abundance today. Robbie was his own nutritionist and trainer.

This did not stop him from successfully training and participating in bodybuilding competitions. The guy’s success was noticed, and a famous coach offered to move to California. Living in Florida, where discrimination based on nationality flourished, was not easy for the guy, so Robbie was happy. Things were different in tolerant Los Angeles. The guy with powerful biceps was respectfully passed over. From then on, he trained at a club that produced famous bodybuilders. In the 70s, the athlete received IFBB professional status and began participating in prestigious competitions.

Titles and awards

The American bodybuilder of African-American origin is known as a professional in his field, personal trainer, writer and actor. The athlete received the majestic nickname “Black Prince” from Joe Weider, coach and organizer of the International Bodybuilding Federation, after a series of victories at national competitions. The common name “Mr. Lifestyle” became attached to him at the beginning of his career.

On the personal account of the titled athlete: the title “Mr. America”, a prize-winning place in the “Mr. World” competition. The bodybuilder won the heavyweight division twice at Mr. Olympia, losing the title in 1977-78. Frank Zane. These merits alone are enough to take off my hat to Mister in the 5th degree. But that's not all. Robinson:

• He won the “Night of Champions” tournament in 1979, where he received the title “Best in the World.”
• Became the first Olympia Masters champion at the age of 48.
• He was ahead of the famous Lou Ferrigno in the mid-90s.
• He consolidated his success with two victories in 1997 and 2000, leaving behind the veterans of iron sport.

After a conflict with the top of the IFBB, Robinson was disqualified and did not compete for several years. During this period of his life, he could be seen in shows on the stage of nightclubs and amateur competitions.

By the end of his sports career, in 2001, Robinson won 50 awards .

Robbie Robinson: parameters, hand and foot sizes

A professional bodybuilder has massive shoulders, a narrow waist and perfect definition. Robinson is especially proud of his hands. At their peak, the ball-shaped biceps were not inferior to the parameters of Arnold Schwarzenegger. With a height of 175 cm and a weight of about 95 kg, the width of the shoulders in the best years reached 54 cm, the waist did not exceed 73 cm.

Black Prince Training

From an interview 9 years ago: “I love fundamental exercises : deadlifts and lever lifts, weighted squats, bench presses. my triceps using a block. I don’t forget about calf raises and abdominal crunches. They form the backbone of the figure and increase endurance.

Even though I am many years old, I still use them in my training, but I do not dope. Yes, when I was also sitting on the Deca. This drug, due to water retention in muscles and tissues, added volume to the biceps. But at 62 years old I don’t use anything and I feel stronger. “I have the same parameters now as when I was young.”

So, here is our interview with bodybuilding legend Robbie Robinson:

Chris Colucci: What's the story about how the IFBB used your body and Joe Weider's head to create the bust? How did it happen? (Pictured is a bust from the November 1979 issue and an original photo from the September 1979 issue)

Robbie Robinson: I'll go into detail about all this in my autobiography, but the short answer is that I was a young guy who wanted to do something to promote the sport, somewhat naive and trusting. I allowed him to do wrong.

I thought this bust was a significant thing, but when I saw it, I thought, “Hey, it's his head on the bust, not yours.” I thought that this issue should have been resolved differently. It was necessary to settle this in personal communication, but this did not happen. But nothing can be done about what happened, we must continue to live, which is what I tried to do. At the moment I don't have any bitter feelings about this.

Chris Colucci: You retired from performing in 2001. What have you been doing since then?

Robbie Robinson: I've had fun working on my blog and DVD. Over the next few days, I will be speaking with the publisher of my autobiography, which covers my 27-year career. Remember Vince Gironda's book?

Chris Colucci: Called "Unleashing wild physique"?

Robbie Robinson: Yes. He was the first guy I admired because he saw bodybuilding as an art. I think everyone wants to see and deserves to see a beautiful figure.

Question: How has professional bodybuilding changed over the past 40 years?

Robbie Robinson: I think around 1980 he started switching from guys who took less to guys who took more. The muscles got bigger and bigger until we reached Ronnie's level. I think Ronnie Coleman will be left out for the next couple of years.

I believe that my body type is more in line with people who train naturally, who want this type of build. I've talked to many people and they all say that the process of moving away from proper bodybuilding began in the 80s.

Chris Colucci: When you see pros on stage for the last 10 years with ripped abs and 300 pounds, it's not something most guys in the gym can identify with.

Robbie Robinson: (Laughs). I think so too.

Chris Colucci: How do you train now?

Robbie Robinson: I believe in core exercises. I love presses, lever lifts, deadlifts. These movements build the foundation of the figure. I use them now, at 62 years old, when I no longer dope.

In those days we used Deca. This drug lingers in the body for a full year after initial use; I consider its advantage to be its long period of action.

I saw that my body was gaining weight due to water retention, but then I returned to my normal weight. At 62, I still weigh 92kg (what I weighed in 1975, before taking steroids for the first time). I am stronger now than I was in those days.

Chris Colucci: Seriously? Stronger than in your heyday?

Robbie Robinson: Yes. I still have 50cm arms and a 73cm waist, and I was able to get back to that at 62 years old. I have the appropriate foundation. I still do 540-585kg leg presses for 10-12 reps.

I'm sure you can put your owl's body into an anabolic state with proper nutrition. I am still able to train and do all the basic exercises. Machines are ok for variety, but I love free weights.

Chris Colucci: We saw in your new DVD that you are still doing exercises with a high risk of injury, like overhead presses. Have you ever had any injuries?

Robbie Robinson: Never was, honestly.

I believe in doing a warm-up set of 20 reps on any body part you're starting to train. This plays a big role in the blood supply to the muscles. Then I gradually increase the weight to the maximum.

Today I see a lot of guys who only lower the weight to a certain point and press it back up, thus putting stress on the muscles. But I think using a full range of motion is one of the key factors in keeping me injury-free.

The same full range of motion was seen in Arnold Schwarzenegger's and Ed Corney's squats. At that time, if you tried to squat with them on equal terms, you would be laughed at. If you tried to deadlift like Franco, they would laugh at you too. How about matching the bench press to Ken Waller? These people challenged and gave incentive to study.

They were extremely strong, tough, tough people. I'm not saying that today's bodybuilders are not cool, but if they were under such a load, they would hardly cope with it.

Chris Colucci: Was there anyone during that era that is underrated now?

Robbie Robinson: I think it's Danny Padilla. Danny is my hero because he had so much muscle for being so short. I think he was not treated very well because he was short and had a rivalry with Franco. I think that Danny deserved more and higher places in the competition, but this did not happen.

Chris Colucci: Did it have to do with politics?
Robbie Robinson

: Padilla didn't behave like the others. You have to do as you are told, especially by the Vaders and the IFBB. There should be no disrespect for these people, rules and regulations must be followed. I think that in any organization where you are a member, you should have some kind of voice. But here there was no right to vote.

Politics played a role in this. I think that sometimes my words cost me 2-3 competitions, but that didn’t stop me. I just kept pushing because I knew that someday it would bring results.

I didn't complain or bully much. Regardless, I still got my Sandow (for the Olympia Masters). When you become the first at something, it gives you a feeling of true achievement. By taking this Sandow, I made the remaining second places insignificant. This is the only trophy I keep at home, all the others are in storage.

Chris Colucci: When the Olympia had weight classes, you won twice as a heavyweight.

Robbie Robinson

: Yes, but these victories are not equivalent to getting Sandow.

I love the sport, but I don't think it was really made for bodybuilders. Someone else is making a lot of money on these shows. I think that it is necessary, at a minimum, to increase the amount of prize money to support bodybuilders.

It seems to me that with all the work it takes to create such figures, the first place prize should be $250,000. Second place could be $100,000. This is how I think it should be.

Chris Colucci: You touched on the topic of steroids earlier, and here's a question I've always wanted to ask: were there any successful professionals in your era who competed without any anabolic steroids?

Robbie Robinson

: Good question. I think we were all on an equal footing back then. Everyone used the same anabolic steroids. Deca was used and a dose of B-12 IV every 2 weeks. This was the usual way. For 90 days, every 2 weeks.

Everyone used it. We didn't think there were any other medications to take.

When I first started training with Arnold and the others, I didn't even know steroids existed.

And then, about 2 weeks before Mr. World, an older guy in the audience came up to me and said, “Robbie, what are you taking?” I replied that it was nothing. He told me to come see him at lunch that day.

I approached it like, “Okay, now you've learned about something different. This is a completely new part of bodybuilding. A whole new world you're entering." Listen further. I went to him, as he said, and this guy gave me, I think, 100 mg of Durabolin-50 or Primobolan Depot.

But if you can win Mr. World with just one dose of the drug, there's something wrong, don't you think? I used one dose of Primobolan Depot or Durabolin-50 and won Mr. World, and also received 1st place for all body parts (some bodybuilding competitions at that time gave prizes for the best arms, chest, etc.).

This made me realize how powerful this thing is.

Chris Colucci: And did you see a big change?

Robbie Robinson

: Huge. I looked like something from another planet. When I looked at my photos, I couldn’t believe that in 2 weeks and with one dose you could grow so much.

Chris Colucci: But you don't attribute all your success to doping.

Robbie Robinson

: I think the better shape you are in when you're going to use steroids, the better results you'll get from them. I had great shape, good genetics and a great team of people with whom I trained. It was like doping in itself.

I think small doses are best and hard work should be the key. If you train hard and apply something, you can be really cool.

Chris Colucci: Do you know what those who are performing now are taking? I believe this is more than one injection every 2 weeks.

Robbie Robinson

: Oh yeah. It's in their biceps, glutes, calves, deltoids, pecs. I don’t want to come across, but it seems to me that they don’t need to do all this. This is a departure from the beauty of bodybuilding, from its artistry.

When I think of one of the most incredible figures, Frank Zane comes to mind. He wasn't big, but he looked like a big athlete. When I became a professional bodybuilder, he was an idol to me to a certain extent.

When you see Sergio Oliva, it’s not from this planet at all. And the King himself, the governor of California, is also not from this planet. For me, their figures were simply incredible, and when I am in the hall, they still stand before my eyes.

Chris Colucci: What to do with steroids in professional bodybuilding?

Robbie Robinson

: The problem is that there are people discussing baseball players and other athletes, but no one cares about bodybuilders. The sport is suffering big losses because of guys who dope, and no one is trying to solve this issue.

The pros competing today are not showing the same form that Frank Zane, Steve Reeves, Schwarzenegger or I had. I recently saw a photo of Melvin Anthony in Flex and thought, “This is what bodybuilding is all about. Narrow waist, round muscles, just great shape.” The way his body looks is beautiful and muscular. I think these qualities play a big role in bodybuilding having a chance to re-emerge in front of the public.

Well, if there is a guy on stage whose weight is close to 135 kg... how many are there? I think the IFBB should definitely start a process to reduce the weight of competing athletes.

A friend of mine who works at Flex told me that magazines sell better when they feature photos of older athletes. They'd just put Arnold or me on the cover and sales would go up, but that's not how it's done anymore. They should put something different in magazines to promote the sport.

They recently posted a photo of two fighters there (Randy Couture and Brock Lesnar). In principle, there is nothing special about this, but we are talking about bodybuilding. Don't try to please everyone indiscriminately.

Chris Colucci: Don't you think bodybuilding is already going in the right direction? Dexter Jackson won the Olympia. There's a 202 Showdown category for the smaller guys.

Robbie Robinson

: Agree. At least I hope so. When Dexter won the Olympia, I thought it was a good way to focus bodybuilding on different values. Real drawing of muscles and separation of muscle groups.

This is what bodybuilding will always be in my mind. I think the changes that have happened to the sport since the big guys came out have hurt it somewhat, and have also hurt the industry.

Chris Colucci: If the average person asked you for advice on how to achieve results, what would you tell them?

Robbie Robinson

: Most people need to adjust their nutritional program. This is the beginning. If you've done this, then you know what you need to eat and how much you need to eat to gain weight.

It’s the same with a guy who just wants to get in shape so that his six-pack abs become visible and increase his attractiveness to girls. You need to develop good eating habits, drink plenty of water, do basic exercises, take some supplements.

Chris Colucci: Do you have to stick to your diet?

Robbie Robinson

: Diet and exercise. If you do the exercises correctly, and at the same time follow a diet, take supplements, and get enough rest, you can build a great figure without having to use anabolic steroids. But if you decide to use them, then it's your choice.

Chris Colucci: Anything else you want to say before we wrap up?

Robbie Robinson

: I think my DVD “Built” will help a lot of people. I'm currently working with promoters from Kenya on the first annual Black Prince Mr. Kenya competition in April. This is a country where people are really poor, they have nothing to eat, some don’t even have a home. We are trying to organize this competition to raise money to help these people. Even 50 cents or a quarter can help them, because there is a completely different standard of living there.

I'd like to get back into shape (Robinson plans to guest pose for the competition).

Chris Colucci: Good idea. Let's see what comes of this. Thank you very much for your time.

• Source: Testosterone Nation, 2006
• Translation (c)

Liked? Share with your friends!

Robbie Robinson now

In the 80s, the bodybuilder moved to Amsterdam in order to popularize a healthy lifestyle outside the country and stayed there for 10 years. These days, the age-old bodybuilder lives in California and also promotes a healthy lifestyle. It was at his instigation that the premiere of The Beatles, “Master Class” took place. The legendary athlete runs the block: https://www.robbyrobinson.net, which is known to users as the “Diary of the Black Prince,” where he gives useful tips and proprietary techniques on nutrition and training.

Another famous bodybuilder accused Schwarzenegger of racism

www.paker.kulturystyka.pl

ALL PHOTOS

Another black bodybuilder accused California gubernatorial candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger of racism www.paker.kulturystyka.pl

Robbie Robinson, known in the bodybuilding world as "The Black Prince" www.robbyrobinson.net

Robinson confirmed the words of another bodybuilder Rick Wayne, who accused Arnold Schwarzenegger of racism Archive NEWSru.com

Робинсон утверждает, что Шварценеггер регулярно называл его «ниггером» и «черномазым» www.paker.kulturystyka.pl

Another black bodybuilder accused California gubernatorial candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger of racism. We are talking about racist statements by a Hollywood film actor, which he made more than once in his youth, reports DrudgeReport.

Robbie Robinson, one of the most famous and respected bodybuilders in the world (he won the titles of Mr. America, Mr. World and Mr. Universe) confirmed the words of another bodybuilder Rick Wayne, who accused Arnold Schwarzenegger of racism.

“I have no disrespect to Arnold fans, but Rick's statement is completely consistent with my own experience with the man,” Robinson explained.

Робинсон утверждает, что Шварценеггер регулярно называл его «ниггером» и «черномазым».

Robbie Robinson, known in the bodybuilding world as “The Black Prince,” said: “In San Jose, at the Russ Warner Classic sports center, as it was then called, such a scene occurred. Seven or eight bodybuilders were invited to perform on the show. We were supposed to be paid $650,000.”

“After the show there was a big banquet. We all danced, rested sweetly, and suddenly Arnold began to scream "Down with the black, Down with these black men." He shouted insults for 10 minutes.

“During this time, no one said a word,” says Robinson.

“The banquet hall was packed with officials from the International Federation of Bodybuilding. Dead silence reigned. You could hear a fly fly by. Everyone in the room was shocked, everyone except me."

“This hostile attack was directed against me. It’s just that at that time during the performance he was not in shape as an athlete, and at that time I was preparing for competitions and looked great. My appearance, my excellent form, showed him as an athlete in a bad light.”

“I even wanted to punch him in the face then. However, I came to my senses in time - this would not bring anything good. I just boiled from the inside, but I didn’t show it. I pulled myself together and left the room. When I left, he was still shouting “Down with the blacks.” The silence was broken by the voice of Joe Weider, who told Arnold to stop it."

“It didn't do any good. Arnold was simply obsessed. “I left the banquet and went to my room,” Robinson said. “He behaved cowardly and insolently. That's why Rick Wayne talked about it."

“During the filming of the Schwarzenegger film Pumping Iron (1977), he again insulted me racially. One day I left his house, refusing to appear in this film if we (the bodybuilders) were not paid money for our work. In the end, we agreed that we would be paid $100 per day of filming. Но даже после этого он продолжал и меня, и других парней называть «ниггерами».

“What his fans and the media don't know is that we all signed a $10,000 contract with White Mountain, the company that made the film, and Arnold. Arnold still hasn't paid us the interest. I wonder how much this contract is worth now? Bodybuilding has a dark past. The Vader brothers and Arnold will have to face the fact that their affairs will someday come to light,” says Robinson.